HIV Among Mexican Migrant Workers 3 Times as High as General U.S., Mexican Populations

HIV prevalence among Mexican migrant workers in California is rising at a "significant" rate and is on the "threshold of rapid increase" in the population, according to two studies conducted by the University of California's Universitywide AIDS Research Program, the Los Angeles Times reports (Bernstein, Los Angeles Times, 11/2).

Last year, government researchers from Mexico and California announced plans for a joint study to explore the spread of HIV among migrant workers and their families. The study focused on seasonal farm workers, day laborers and urban workers in Fresno and San Diego counties, as well as similar groups and their relatives in the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Michoacan (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 2/7/03).

The first study of 600 migrant workers in Fresno and San Diego counties showed that as many as 1% of workers -- or 20,000 people -- are HIV-positive. That prevalence rate is more than three times as high as the rate in the general U.S. and Mexican populations, according to researchers. The second study, which was published in the Nov. 1 issue of the Journal of AIDS, found that HIV prevalence among pregnant women at Tijuana General Hospital in Mexico is more than four times as high as the rate among the general populations in both Mexico and the United States. According to Dr. George Lemp, head of the Universitywide Program who worked on both studies, previous research had "suggested that the epidemic was remaining stable in Mexico and that it was a fairly minimal problem among migrants," Lemp said.

However, the two studies indicate that "HIV infection is potentially on the threshold of rapid increase in this population," Lemp said, adding, "If behavior change doesn't occur and there is no intervention, then we would expect some exponential growth in the number of people infected." Lemp said that if public health officials do not "devote considerable resources" to tracking infections and educating the Mexican public about HIV/AIDS, Mexico could "rapidly become the next India or China," where the pandemic is "raging out of control," according to the Times. In addition, the increase in HIV prevalence among migrant workers "echo[es] the skyrocketing [prevalence] rates among Latinos overall," the Times reports.

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What have you done for your people today?

Abstinence, Abstinence, Abstinence.
That is what we should be teaching in the schools. There is no such thing as safe sex other than marrying a virgin, who hasn't used drugs requiring a needle.

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Those who think they know everything, usually know the least.

No need for it anymore, and way too many risks. Let's just die off like the dinosaurs, the world would be better off without us anyways....

If only that were realistic. Unfortunately, kids who are taught abstience have a lot more sex a lot earlier than kids who didn't.

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"Violence isn't always evil. What's evil is the infatuation with violence."
Jim Morrison

Free AIDS clinics for illegal migrant workers...
Open borders...
Funding AIDS treatment in Mexico.

Correct?

Catz

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I'll get nicer when you get smarter.

The only 100% way to keep from getting diseases or pregnant is to abstain. Maybe if it was unacceptable to be promiscuous, instead of acceptable we might put a dent in this crisis.

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Those who think they know everything, usually know the least.

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I'll get nicer when you get smarter.

the US economy depends on migrant workers from Mexico

even your president knew best to grant illegals an amnesty

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I have something to hide.

That would actually work.

Xenophobia is a poor man's racism. So your against legal immigrants to?

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What's this i hear bed? Word has it you and Pam are sleeping together.

We tried that whole "sex is evil" thing a long time ago. Didn't exactly work out - ended up that women were being stoned in the streets. Oh wait, that still happens...where is it? Oh yeah, in about half of the world.

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"Violence isn't always evil. What's evil is the infatuation with violence."
Jim Morrison